Africasti.com

Rotavirus vaccine effective for newborns in Africa

AfricaSTI — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:25:10 +0000

By Alex Abutu,
A new research published in this week edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases has found that a vaccine given to newborns is at least 60 per cent effective against rotavirus in Ghana. Rotavirus causes fever, vomiting and diarrhea, which in infants can cause severe dehydration.
In developed nations, the condition often results in an emergency room visit or an occasional hospitalization, but is rarely fatal. In developing countries, however, rotavirus-related illness causes approximately 500,000 deaths per year. There is no neonatal rotavirus vaccine available and infants do not receive their first dose of a rotavirus vaccine until they are approximately 2 months old, leaving younger infants at serious risk of rotavirus infection.
In the study, the first of two doses was administered within the first 29 days of life (neonatal dosing), and the second dose before 60 days of age according to researchers.
“For the first time in a large-scale study, we have demonstrated that protection against rotavirus gastroenteritis can be achieved earlier in life,” says co-author and pediatrician Robert M. Jacobson, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic Children’s Center. “The next step should be additional studies in neonates to provide earlier protection against life-threatening rotavirus diarrhea. The rotavirus vaccines used in America and Europe are administered later — when babies are 2 to 4 months old — but younger infants also contract the virus in the first two months of life.”
Two vaccines serve as standard protection in developed countries, but are not especially effective in African or Asian countries, says Dr. Jacobson. Besides, he says, protection is also needed from birth due to the widespread risk of the virus.
“There is a huge protection gap right now in the first months of life,” says Dr. Jacobson. “This study points to a clear and practical solution.”
In Ghana, 998 newborns were selected for the randomized, double-blind, placebo trial from two of the poorest parts of the country. Half received the oral reassortant rotavirus tetravalent vaccine (RRV-TV) in the first two months of life, half received a placebo. Results showed a significant response in parameters of efficacy, safety and immune impact of the vaccine.

Nigeria set to promote learning of science, mathematics

Administrator — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:40:04 +0000

Nigeria has expressed its commitment to promote the teaching and learning of science and mathematics at basic and secondary school levels.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, MacJohn Nwaobiala, said this at a two-day workshop for stakeholders in the South-South and South East Zone in Uyo.
The workshop was targeted at commissioners of education, chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEB) and directors in the education sector of the six geo-political zones.
The permanent secretary said the workshop was aimed at exposing stakeholders to funding, ownership and sustainability of Nigeria-UNESCO Special Science, Technology and Mathematics (SMTE) Project. The project was initiated in 2005.
Mr. Nwaobiala said the advocacy and sensitisation workshop was aimed at addressing the dearth of adequate and qualified science teachers as well as laboratory equipment and science kit in schools. He said the workshop was also aimed at enlisting the support and partnership of all stakeholders in meeting the objectives of the Nigeria-UNESCO project.

Nigeria prepares five-year research plan to stop sleeping sickness,

AfricaSTI — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:30:45 +0000

By Kanayo Umeh,
The federal government of Nigeria is drawing up a five-year strategic plan for the research, control and eradication of sleeping sickness and river blindness in Nigeria.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Okon Bassey-Ewa, stated this at the opening ceremony of the three-day National Conference on Trypanosomiasis And Onchosceeciasis Research, Zoonotic/Public Health Implications, Control And Eradication in Nigeria, organised by the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis (and onchocerciasis) Research (NITR) Kaduna.
According to the minister, the five-year strategic plan when approved will serve as a guide not only for NITR, but also as a platform for collaboration among stakeholders, ministries and agencies.
He said that the theme of the conference: “Focusing Research and Development Strategies Towards a Nigeria free of Trypanosomaisis (sleeping sickness, sammore) and Onchocerciasis (river blindness)” is in line with the core objectives of the new National Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy towards the achievement of the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.
He said: “NITR has its mandate to conduct research and develop appropriate technologies, as well as process for the control and elimination of the trypanosomiasis and onchocerciasis and their vectors. This is a national and a unique mandate to carry out research and development in all aspects of trypanosomiasis and onchocerciasis. This mandate saddles with the important responsibility to serve as a clearing house in terms of research and development in the area of trypanosomiasis and onchocerciasis. The institute has been carrying out his responsibility over the years responsibly.”

Ghana launches miniature satellite

AfricaSTI — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:22:23 +0000

Ghana has launch its first satellite as part of its new space programme, as college students send a tiny model satellite the size of a coke can 200 yards into the air.
The “Deployable CanSat”, which will collect photographic images and other information from its flight, will be carried skyward by nothing more hi-tech than a large balloon, but organisers hope that it will generate enthusiasm for Ghana’s long term space ambitions.
“We hope that this practical demonstration of what can be done by students like them will generate more enthusiasm, fire up their imagination to come up with more creative things, and show that it’s possible that they’ll one day be able to launch their own real satellite into orbit,” said Prosper Kofi Ashilevi, director of Ghana’s Space Science and Technology Centre.
Ghana, which launched its space programme in 2012, is an extraterrestrial upstart, even by African standards. Nigeria holds a clear lead in the continent’s space-race, having funded and overseen the construction of a number of satellites in the last few years. Nigeria’s space ambitions have focused on commercial satellites, offering telecommunications and satellite industry.
However, Nigeria’s efforts have mostly been outsourced. NigeriaSat2, was built by Nigerian scientists in the UK, at Surrey Satellite Technology, and launched by the Russian space programme. Although Apartheid-era South Africa planned an African launch site, the South African Space Programme, reopened in 2009, launched its last satellite in Kazakhstan.

Experts believe Ghana is at least five years from developing a functioning satellite, but this project shows a determination to build a space program with local expertise, and to help grow the country’s hi-tech industry in the process.
(Source: The Telegraph)

AGRA calls attention to the place of agriculture in Africa’s growth

AfricaSTI — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:39:53 +0000

By John Anthony Abah,
The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) called on global leaders at the World Economic Forum on Africa to recognise agriculture’s rightful place—at the heart of Africa’s growth.
Jane Karuku, President of AGRA, and Strive Masiyiwa, Vice Chair of AGRA and Founder of Econet Wireless, at this year’s conference stress the need to encourage governments and other leaders to urgently close the gap between the current and the potential contribution that agriculture makes to Africa’s growth and development.
Ms. Karuku said: “It makes good sense to increase investment in agriculture in line with the CAADP commitments. As our evidence shows, every dollar invested in agriculture in Africa has an impact on poverty reduction which is up to three to four times greater than the same amount invested in other sectors.”
“As the clock ticks towards 2014, the pressure is now on for our governments to live up to the commitment they made in Maputo. Growth in Africa’s agricultural sector, food security and poverty alleviation across the continent all depend on achieving this goal”, she said.
According to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), in 2010, only eight African countries had met their pledge to commit 10 per cent of their national budget to agriculture, while many others were making progress.
Mr. Masiyiwa said: “WEF Africa 2013 is asking the question: how we can deliver on Africa’s promise? The answer is that agriculture must be at the heart of our efforts. Governments must become much more courageous on this issue, especially when it comes to land rights, the policy environment, and access to finance and infrastructure.”
Mr. Masiyiwa emphasised the role of the private sector in achieving sustainable growth in the agriculture sector. He said: “Promoting investment in the agriculture sector requires governments and other stakeholders to speak to private investors, so that they gain a better understanding of the business environment, the regulatory bottlenecks they face, and the incentives on offer.”
Further, Ms Karuku said: “Africa needs widespread and sustainable economic growth, and the continent is showing fast progress. But the biggest contribution to reducing poverty will have to come from the agricultural sector – the sector in which most Africans earn their livelihoods.”
She added: “Smallholder farmers in Africa face many challenges, but the opportunities on offer should far exceed these. Governments have a big role to play in resolving the unfriendly business environment that currently prevents smallholder farmers from commercialising their operations and moving beyond subsistence. We need to ensure that farmers have access to inputs like improved seeds, but they must also be empowered to sell their own produce on markets.”

Climate change will cause loss of common plants, animals

AfricaSTI — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:26:23 +0000

By Alex Abutu
More than half of common plants and one third of the animals could see a dramatic decline this century due to climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa and other regions of the world, according to research from the University of East Anglia.
The research,‘Quantifying the benefit of early climate change mitigation in avoiding biodiversity loss’ published in the journal Nature Climate Change looked at 50,000 globally widespread and common species and found that more than one half of the plants and one third of the animals will lose more than half of their climatic range by 2080 if nothing is done to reduce the amount of global warming and slow it down.
This means that geographic ranges of common plants and animals would shrink globally and biodiversity would decline almost everywhere.
Plants, reptiles and particularly amphibians are expected to be at highest risk. Sub-Saharan Africa, Central America, Amazonia and Australia would lose the most species of plants and animals. And a major loss of plant species is projected for North Africa, Central Asia and South-eastern Europe.
But acting quickly to mitigate climate change could reduce losses by 60 per cent and buy an additional 40 years for species to adapt. This is because this mitigation would slow and then stop global temperatures from rising by more than two degrees Celsius relative to pre-industrial times (1765). Without this mitigation, global temperatures could rise by 4 degrees Celsius by 2100.
The study was led by Dr Rachel Warren from UEA’s school of Environmental Sciences and the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. Collaborators include Dr.Jeremy VanDerWal at James Cook University in Australia and Dr Jeff Price, also at UEA’s school of Environmental Sciences and the Tyndall Centre. The research was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
Dr Warren said: “While there has been much research on the effect of climate change on rare and endangered species, little has been known about how an increase in global temperature will affect more common species.
“This broader issue of potential range loss in widespread species is a serious concern as even small declines in these species can significantly disrupt ecosystems.
“Our research predicts that climate change will greatly reduce the diversity of even very common species found in most parts of the world. This loss of global-scale biodiversity would significantly impoverish the biosphere and the ecosystem services it provides.
“We looked at the effect of rising global temperatures, but other symptoms of climate change such as extreme weather events, pests, and diseases mean that our estimates are probably conservative. Animals in particular may decline more as our predictions will be compounded by a loss of food from plants.
“There will also be a knock-on effect for humans because these species are important for things like water and air purification, flood control, nutrient cycling, and eco-tourism.
“The good news is that our research provides crucial new evidence of how swift action to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gases can prevent the biodiversity loss by reducing the amount of global warming to 2 degrees Celsius rather than 4 degrees. This would also buy time – up to four decades – for plants and animals to adapt to the remaining 2 degrees of climate change.”

Educating women may improve food security in Africa

AfricaSTI — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:12:32 +0000

By John Anthony Abah
African women have a key role in their families’ food security. Information campaigns targeting female farmers could lead to reduced poverty and increased food security. This is the conclusion of a new doctoral thesis from the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
The author of the thesis Simon Wagura Ndiritu has studied gender-related issues concerning agriculture and food management in Kenya and Tanzania. He found significant differences between men and women, where women are often forced to farm lower-quality lands and do not typically use the most productive farming methods to the same extent as men. As this seems to be a structural problem, measures targeting women can be expected to be very effective.
‘African women are crucial in farming. They are in charge of their families’ food security and all household work. Information campaigns targeting women could help them adopt more modern and more effective agricultural methods. This would in turn lead to reduced poverty and increased food security.’
Low productivity and post-harvest losses are two main reasons for the widespread food shortage in Sub-Saharan Africa. It would therefore be highly beneficial to introduce improved agricultural methods and better ways to store the harvests, and to strengthen the female farmers through information about the entire farming and storage process. Part of this work would consist of training of competent information officers with a passion for agricultural issues.
‘The thesis for example shows how information campaigns increased the use of modern storage methods. These methods lead to improved food security throughout the year, which is particularly important for female farmers as they carry the heavy burden of being in charge of both the household and the family’s food security,’ says Ndiritu.
The women’s problems are amplified by the fact that they generally lack resources and cannot afford modern agricultural technologies. This necessitates joint efforts by government actors, society and aid organisations in order to successfully address the knowledge and resource issues.’

Mosquito survey identifies reservoir of disease

AfricaSTI — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:58:17 +0000

A large scale, five year study of mosquitoes from different ecological regions in Kenya, including savannah grassland, semi-arid Acacia thorn bushes, and mangrove swamps, found a reservoir of viruses carried by mosquitoes (arboviruses) that are responsible for human and animal diseases.

The research, published in BioMed Central’s open access journal Virology Journal, highlights the need for continued surveillance in order to monitor the risk of disease outbreaks.

Over 450,000 mosquitoes from 11 sites across Kenya were screened by researchers from the United States Army Medical Research Unit,- Kenya (part of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research), Kenya Medical Research Institute, and the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology in Nairobi. 83 different viruses were identified, including alphaviruses, flaviviruses and orthobunyaviruses.

Mosquitoes were infected with West Nile, Ndumu, Sindbis, Bunyamwera, Pongola and Usutu virus at many test sites which represented diverse ecological locations. These viruses pose a significant public health problem especially in East Africa. West Nile virus has been a source of concern, not only in East Africa but around the world with outbreaks recently in the US and across Europe. Ngari virus, which was associated with hemorrhagic fever in northern Kenya in the late 1990s was isolated from two sites in Kenya

Previously unknown viruses were also found: one with similarities to the newly discovered Chaoyang virus in China, and two more related to Quang Binh virus.

From the location of infected mosquitoes it seems that livestock as well as mosquitoes could be a reservoir of disease. Caroline Ochieng who led the study explained, “The importance of mosquitoes in the spread of arboviral diseases in East Africa cannot be over-emphasized. They have caused outbreaks afflicting both human and livestock with devastating public health and economic consequences. Implementation of mosquito and arbovirus surveillance is therefore vital as part of an early warning system and rapid response plan.”

Commenting on the potential impact of this study Linfa Wang, Editor-in-Chief of Virology Journal said, “This important study highlights the need for on-going surveillance in animals and insect vectors, in order to prepare for potential virus outbreaks in humans.”

Africa’s Agriculture is looking good-FARA Boss

AfricaSTI — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:28:45 +0000

World Food Prize laureate and Executive Director of Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, Professor Monty Jones discusses sundry agriculture issues affecting Africa with AfricaSTI Editor-in-Chief, Diran Onifade at the FARA headquarters in Accra, Ghana.

AfricaSTI: Let us begin on an optimistic note. Commodity demand around the world is on an upsurge. What does this portend for the African farmer?
Jones: I think it should be good for African farmers especially if you look at the trend in recent years. Although not adequate as much as we want but we know that production is going up in most countries in Africa. I don’t see downward trend except if there is a big disaster such as drought and things like that. So production is actually going up. And I think that some of the successes that Africa is recording today which has to do with improved GDP for most countries in Africa except for some few countries, it’s got to do with the fact that we have been able to produce and some countries even export the commodity to Europe, the US and as far as China and other places, which is good. So if there is increasing demand for commodities I will see it as a good thing for Africa especially since around 2008 when we have been experiencing commodity price hike. That has helped quite a number of countries and I believe it will continue to help countries and Africa should try to see how they can embrace this through improving on their production and productivity so that they would have much more reserve to earn foreign exchange.

What are the consequences of this for food security on the continent?
I think every government will like to attain food security, every government in Africa will like to see that they create a balance between what goes for domestic consumption and what goes out for export. Even if you go to the United States of America you will still find people who are hungry.
Recently I heard that the World Bank president is trying to reduce extreme hunger in different countries of the world, which is really very good and I think that Africa should have that attitude of producing enough for her people and producing to export to get foreign exchange and getting foreign exchange is important for the economic growth of the continent. Every government should be able to strike a balance.
I believe that what is happening in Rwanda today is an example that we all should emulate. Rwanda Is a land locked country where the population density is very high, much higher than any other country in Africa. So Rwanda does not have enough land to expand for agriculture. Most countries look at expanding the area under cultivation to increase food production but Rwanda is cultivating the same piece of land year in year out and it is intensifying it’s system to increase production and achieving surplus some of which goes for export and they still are able to maintain good balance so much so that Rwanda is seen as one country that may likely achieve food security by the international standards. And I think this is what every government should do.
We are not going to completely eliminate hunger but that is the wish of every government. A country should be able to feed her people. Basically what I am saying is that governments should be able to strike a balance between what is meant for domestic consumption and what goes for export to earn foreign exchange to boost economic growth.

You talked about Rwanda and we understand FARA is helping with a pilot project in there. Can you tell us about the project?
We have quite a number of projects in various countries in Africa including Nigeria , Ghana and the one in Rwanda that you mentioned. I will like to mention two projects that we are running there that have created big impact in the country. But first of all , before I talk of that project , we advocate for inclusiveness in the way we do business and call for creation of national agricultural research systems whereby research, extension , private sector all of these entities will come together to conceive the problem, develop the protocol and implement the protocol. That way you bring various expertise together and we have what is called active learning that takes place in situations like that because you also bring in both the farmers and the private sector and the two projects we are having in Rwanda have to do with such concept of agricultural research for development .
The first one is related to orange flesh sweet potato. Orange flesh sweet potato is very popular. Apart from the fact that it is high yielding it also contains vitamin A which is good for the eye sight. I visited a community that is cultivating this variety of sweet potato and they told me that not only have they been able to increase production but they have been able to add value by using the sweet potato to make doughnut that they sell to super markets in Kigali. This is a community that is fifty kilometres from Kigali.
The second project has to do with Irish potato much further from Kigali and now the entire community cultivates Irish potato not only for Rwanda but for export to other countries. These are two very big success stories and why this is happening is because of what I mentioned earlier when we started this discussion. The country embraced the integrated system and created what is called the Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB). This board brings together all of these entities under one umbrella so they are able to plan and the private sector too is supportive. The two banks in the community are supporting the farmers and the banks are saying that they are happy because they got more than three times the amount of money they gave out.
These are the types of success stories we will like to hear from all parts of Africa. But it comes with a responsibility. The bank gives you ten thousand dollars today you have to pay back because you could get twenty thousand dollars tomorrow. We have so many success stories like these across Africa and that is why we are trying to develop a communication strategy to work with the press so that the stories will go far so that other farmers will say that this is happening elsewhere let me also try it in my own country and that is how we can boost agricultural growth in the continent.

Agricultural activities are predominantly land based more so in Africa. Should the emerging trend which commentators are describing as land grab be of any degree of concern as far as food security is concern?
Let me say yes, we should be concerned about land grabbing as it affects food security. Africa should not work in isolation though. There are people in different parts of the world that have acquired knowledge like we have in the case of Zimbabwe where we have farmers who are commercial farmers. They take loan and they build the agriculture and pay back the loans, they increase production and productivity and improve the lives of the people. If such people want to come and work in your country, I will advice the government if they are serious to give them the opportunity because if you look at it, about ninety percent of our farmers in Africa are farming on the traditional subsistent basis what I call farming to eat. For some it is not even enough to eat before the next farming season and you begin to struggle how far are we going to go with subsistent farming? So all these people who will come to improve production and productivity through commercial agriculture should be encouraged but encouraged to an extent they should not be allowed to come and displace the system. I oppose any form of land grabbing just like you said , you grab the land , you displace the people and their farming community , I will support a system whereby you negotiate with government, you negotiate with the community , you keep the farming community in place , you use their land , you give them an improved technology that will improve their productivity , you buy their product if they are willing to sell a certain proportion of their harvest, you pay them directly so that they can earn some money and it’s a win- win situation for everybody if you see what I mean. This is the type of land grabbing that I will like to support but land grabbing that when they come they displace the farming community and when they harvest they take it to their country for sale , I will ask every government to discourage that kind of arrangement because it is not for Africa’s benefit.
There is another trend that is coming up around agriculture which is the issue of Genetically Modified crops (GMO). What is your stand on this?
I know that GMOs are taboos in some countries , some people will never go for genetically modified crops and they should be respected for that while other people will go for GMOs and they should also be respected for that. So my position as somebody who is working for FARA and an agriculturist is that we should respect the position of a country whether for or against ,but as we do that we should carry out surveys to find out what are the risk involve in adopting GMO technology or adopting GMO products and if there is any risk we should not hesitate to let the people know. But it is very difficult for you to see your people die when there is a technology that will be able to produce enough food for your people to survive and that is how I look at it. I always give an example of a country which I cannot mention the name for obvious reasons. The people were suffering with much hunger and there were ships coming in from Europe with GMO product maize to be precise and they turned it down and a week later they were announcing death due to hunger and I believe any government that does that, that government is not responsible specially since we have not been able to prove that GMO product is of risk to human health. We don’t know of tomorrow, that is why we need to respect the views of those people who say no they will not adopt GMOs but at the same time how do you watch people die when there is food for them to eat? So I am here and there but at the same time for science and technology for African agricultural development we should be able to say that GMO will increase yield by two to three times as against conventional approach of breeding then some countries will want to adopt that and we should respect them for that.
From your own stand point, can we credibly say that agricultural research is going on in Africa?I will say yes agric research is going on in Africa, but I will qualify that to say is it enough? I will say it’s not enough, it’s not enough because if you move from one research institute to another except for the international agric research institutes like the IITA, WADA etc and if you go to their laboratories and see the type of research facility that they have then you will say yes that research is going on. But how many of such national programmes have got the relevant expertise not to talk of the equipment and tools to be able to carry out meaningful agric research? Very few that is why I say it is not enough its not enough because one , we don’t have the expertise in a number of countries . In one country in Africa we only have two researchers with PhDs out of the twenty or so researchers in that country and that is not enough. What can they do? Not much, so Africa has to give support to it physical infrastructure which is important but also to knowledge infrastructure which is science, technology and innovation. But for you to get these you need the expertise ,you need the electricity, the tools, equipment,laboratories and the skilled manpower. If the infrastructure is wrong, then everything is wrong with the entire research programme. If the skilled manpower is not there then something is wrong with that. That is why I say its not enough. Africa should do more but I admire the African researchers who are working under very difficult conditions. It is left to our government to remedy the situation because they know the importance of research. Without research we can’t move forward in agriculture production and productivity. All these countries we call the BRICS countries today Brazil, Russia, India, China and to some extent South Africa , they are making it first by increasing production and productivity through agricultural breakthrough. That’s how Asia got the green revolution; that’s how Latin America got the green revolution; that’s how all these countries in Europe and the US got into industrialization; all started with agriculture and research contributing to increase production and productivity and Africa should do the same thing. Our investment in agriculture has been declining since the sixties , in the 2000 era we see it going up again let it continue that way. It’s coming up but it’s not enough. We need to invest in capacity development, we need to invest in science and technology development not leaving out innovation. Innovation is very important for us to increase production and productivity and begin to go into industrialization. That is the trend. That is what we see in the world and I think that we should do that too. Often we pay lip service to agricultural research and we are getting into that stage now that our leaders are beginning to see the value of research, technologies and innovation. We should promote that in Africa.

Africa must raise ICT personnel for development – President Jonathan

AfricaSTI — Sat, 11 May 2013 18:06:11 +0000

By Emma Elebeke
Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan has said that Africa lacks enough scientists and engineers for the continent to migrate into the emerging global knowledge-based economy.
President Jonathan stated this at the 4th commencement of the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja held at the weekend.
The president, represented by the Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Okon Bassey Ewa said there is urgent need for Africa to develop strategies that will enable her raise enough information and communication technology, ICT driven scientists and engineers that will create the jobs required for the over a billion population living in the continent, which the times demand.
He described science and technology as engines of economic growth and prosperity, which he said is evidenced in Western and Eastern countries of the last few centuries, where industrial revolution was driven by science and technology initiated in leading European universities.
This according to him, informed the decision of federal government to support the establishment of the university in 2007, with a donation of 24,000 acres of land and subsequent funding through the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF.
President Jonathan, who expressed satisfaction with the partnership between the university and the oil and gas industry in Nigeria, since inception, described the partnership as a progressive and beneficial partnership that should be extended to other industries, in order to support Nigeria’s bid to join Africa’s technological emergence into the country of the future.
“The government of Nigeria is pleased to see that AUST has welcomed students from 19 African countries. This is a progressive and beneficial partnership that should be extended to other industries, as Nigeria joins Africa’s technological emergence into the century of the future.
“We are pleased to see graduates of AUST beginning to have impact on higher education in Africa, with graduates now occupying positions in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia. AUST is emerging as a source of well-trained graduate assistants, contributing to the development of a critical mass of human capacity in science and technology that can address Africa’s development needs.
“Here in Nigeria, our target is to develop into one of the top twenty global countries by the year 2020. This is a goal that can only be achieved, if we consolidate on our development of world-class capacity in science and technology.
“As we look into the future, in which we hope that Nigeria will make its much desired mark in the global economy, we shall assiduously promote the emergence of AUST as a research university that will contribute new discoveries and innovations vital to the growth of knowledge-based economy in Nigeria,” he added.